cgerhardt Report post Posted July 10, 2011 I'm am a newbee so forgive my ignorance. Just brought 07 Holiday Rambler Ambassador back from some minor repairs. Hooked up power to 15 amp service and also had generator running while working inside with A/C running. After disconnecting all power and turning everything off the inverter is still running. It's been over an hour and still running/humming. The power cords were a little warm when I disconnected them otherwise everything seems normal. Why is it still running? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted July 10, 2011 The inverter is still running because that is what it does. When you cut off all other power, the inverter works to change battery DC power into AC power... until the batteries are run down. If you want to shut down the motor home without the inverter running, you will have to turn the inverter off. I can't tell you exactly how to do that but there should be some kind of on/off or power button on the display panel for the inverter/electrical power. If there is no button, look for a menu option and a choice on the menu to power down the inverter. You should have a large book (owners manual) for your motor home. There will be a section on the electrical system. That will guide you through the specifics of how to shut down the inverter in your motor home. If you don't have the booklet, call Monaco RV, LLC (877-466-6226) to get instructions and a replacement owners manual. By the way, there is no need for the 15 amp cord if the generator is running. Your generator will provide all the power you need to run your air conditioners. The system is set up to accept power from only one input at a time. If you are plugged into shore power, that is where your electric is coming from. The generator will run but its power is not being used. When you unplug from shore power, then the system automatically switches over to use generator power. When you shut the generator down, the inverter starts providing power from your batteries. Then if you plug in to shore power, the inverter stops inverting and starts charging the batteries. The system functions to accept power from only one source at a time, shore power, generator or batteries. Shore power trumps all. If no shore power, generator trumps batteries. If no shore power or generator, then the inverter is using battery power. Your 15 amp power supply was running your air conditioner. One air conditioner uses about 12 to 13 amps so yes, your extension cord would be a little warm. If you were using your heavy duty main power cord, it should not have been warm unless it was lying in the sun! The conversion plug where you plugged into the 15 amp power supply may have been a little warm. I would mention that in most modern home wiring systems only the lighting circuits are on 15 amp breakers. Most outlet circuits are on 20 amp circuits with 20 amp breakers. If you are storing your motor home, it would be a good idea to keep it plugged into that shore power source. Make sure all appliances are turned off, there will be a few energy users you can't shut off, detectors and monitors but they use very little electricity. Having the inverter charger powered from shore power allows it to keep the batteries charged so you are ready to go for your next trip. You might want to unplug the audio video electronics as they typically draw some power in a standby mode. You might be able to identify the AC circuit that supplies power to your audio video electronics and shut that circuit off at the breaker rather than unplugging all the devices individually. In almost 10 years living in our motor home full time, we never shut off our inverter. When we are in a campground, the inverter is on, keeping the batteries charged. When we unplug at a campground we have the inverter on. On the road we have AC power, no need to reset clocks. We can listen to music from the CD player. When the batteries get low or we need the air conditioners we run the generator while on the road. When we're back in a campground we plug in again. We always have 120V AC power on in our coach. Now that we have a house again, I keep the motor home plugged in all the time. We're in and out for one reason or another and it is handy to have the electric ready to go when I want to use it. Meanwhile, the inverter is keeping our batteries in tip-top shape. I have talked to people who never use their inverter. I figure it is one of the great conveniences that our motor home offers and I use it to the max. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cgerhardt Report post Posted July 10, 2011 Thanks very much for the great explanation. I get it now. The inverter did shut off after a while. The heat on the cord was probably because I was using an extension cord to reach a power outlet for shore power. Need to move the coach a little closer. Thanks again, these forums are great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allbifaith Report post Posted February 5, 2012 Do all RVs have an Inverted? How can I locate an inverter in my RV? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted February 5, 2012 No, not all RV's have inverters. What year/make/model coach do you own? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted February 5, 2012 Does all RVs have an Inverted? How can I locate an inverter in my RV? No, many RV's do not have an inverter. Because of the variations in how they are wired in an RV, you may just have to search for one. They can range from a small inverter to, say, power a TV to a large one that can power things like a microwave. Older and lower end coaches generally did not come standard with inverters, but many did install one. They also often require a larger than OE battery banks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allbifaith Report post Posted February 7, 2012 I just bought a 1998 Coachman Mirada, It has 2 TVs...One in the room and one outside, I would imagine that the previous owners have watched TV before ..... pleas tell me more about how to know if I have one...and if i don't who can install one...a mechanic? approximately how much will it cost Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carvel Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Try contacting Coachman to see if your rid came pre-equipped with the inverter. Coachmen RV Company Customer Service PHONE: 1-800-453-6064 MAIL: Coachmen RV Company P. O. Box 30 Middlebury, Indiana 46540 Coachmen Owners Association?[/url] PHONE: (888) 422-2582 MAIL: Coachmen RV Company P. O. Box 30 Middlebury, Indiana 46540 www.coachmenowners.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
